Process of concentrating ores.



UNITED STATES JOHN M. criLLow, or SALT LAKE CITY, U'TYAH, ASSIGNOR 'ro METALS RECOVERY COMPANY, or AUGUSTA, MAINE. A CORPORATION or MAINE.

Specification of v certain-"new 'and useful "Improvements in Processes of Concentrati ng'()res,' of which. the following is a specification; f T

This invention" relates to new and useful process of concentrating ores, and it has for its essential object the separation of an ore relatively "high in certain" values, from froth-flotation crude copper, lead, ZIIIC -HOII, etc.,"ores,.

otherproducts relatively liigh in other values. I With the above andother objects in "vieii',

. my invention consists of the" process 'sub'' stantially as I will hereinafter,ilescri'beand claim.

In carrying out my invention I take ad-' vantage of the Well-known action of. froth ing and floatiiig oils, when used Withiany of the suitable and Well-known flotation apparatus, in connection with a certain class of chemicals commonly known as salt-cake andniter-ca e, which are by products' de rived from powder and other chemical manufacturing plants. V

My process is applicable to and is intended to cover the use of sodium-hydrogensulfate or sodium-acid -sulfate commonly known as salt-cake or miter-cake inany apparatus with crushed slim'es, tailings, middlings or concentrates where the selective action of one metallic constituent ofv the ore mass is preferential to the others. The action of the sodiumhydrogen-sulfate or sodium-acid-suIfat-e .in

the ore mass is to immunize against flotation one or more of the mineral components of a mixtureof mineral particles each nor-. mally susceptible to flotatiotrand, therefore, my process is based upon the factth'at' when an ore, slime, concentrate, etc., round to a fineness necessary to separate the various constituents, istreated with sodium hydrogen-sulfate in quantity sufiicient'to immunize against flotation certain of the mineral components normally susceptibleto flotation, or is likewise treated with salt cake, or niter' cake, and an acid, preferably sulfuric acid, and a. frothing agent added, and, the whole placed in a flotation. apparatus, there will be a preferential action of I one or more'of the valuable constituentsof Iratio of about 100 pounds-per ton of lnocns's or CONCENTRATING oxms.

mars m nt- Patented June 11, 19 1s.?

2,1916. sriam maise the ore'over the others. As illustrati eiof one example of m'y-process, I haveTtalre lead, zinc, iron sulfid,- assaying "lift lea. 18% iron,- and zinc. and ground thi'sa mixture with an appropriate f-rothin-ga'geiit I or agents to ,afineness sutiicient to liberate I 1 the various metals. 'After such grinding;

added the niter-cake, in the 'proportfi'onbr' feed, with its usuahliquid content. T pulp was placed. appropriatefrothproducing" apparatus onflotationceltand \yas thoroughlyinixedand; approx'iinately,x 2 pounds of commercial sulfuric acid"\vas added and the-pulpsubjected to-'tli'e'=11su'al' step of flotation. A s a 'result'of illljSOliel'ilQ tion, the froth concentrates assayerl -about' 5% leach 45% ziny'l'); iron a-ncl"3% of i soluble; The tailings were treated upona'p 'propriate conceijitrating tables to remove z sociated silica luid were found -to' assr about 30%- lead, 6% zinc, 25% iron, and 1%. of insolublcs.' The final tailings assayed approximately, 3% lead and 3% zinc.

I have also found that the crude ore can all be floated free from gangue and then treated as above described so as to give two grades of concentrates.

The foregoing process oxids and carbonates or ores which can be filmed or sulfidized. v

It will be understood that the exact proportion of the salt-cake or miter-cake or salt-cake or niter-cakeand an acid hereto-- fore described in the Working of my process is not absolutelynecessary. and hence I desire to state that my process co'mprehends and includes the use of salt-cake or niter- 1 cake or salt-cake or niter-cake and .an acid in other and different proportions from those. heretofore given. and that the proportion u'ill'be determined according to the particular characteristics of the individual ore to he treated. L

From the foregoing it willbe understood that I have produced a process of concent-rating ores by subjecting the ore to the action of salt cake or niter. cake, or salt cake or niter cake and an acid and then treating the pulp, by flotation separation whereby I 105 obtain products, some of which are relatively high in certain values and others are relatively high in other values.

is applicable to r Having thus described my inventionwhat ters Patent is 1.v The process herein described of concentrating metalliferous ores, which consists in. subjecting a pulp of powdered ore and Water to the action of sodium-hydrogen-sulfate in quantity sufficient to immunize against flotation certain of the mineral components normally. susceptible to flotation, and then subjecting the mass to flotation separation whereby products are obtained relatively high in certain values and other products are obtained relatively high in other values.

2.' The process herein described of concentrating metalliferousores which consists in subjecting a pulp of powdered ore and Water to digestion in 'a-solution of sodiumhydrogen-sulfate in quantity suflicient to immunize against flotation certain ol" the mineral components normally susceptible to flotation, and then subjecting the mass to flotation separation to obtain products rela tively high in certain values and other products relatively high in other values.

3. The process herein described of con-- centrating metalliferous ores which consists ln-reduclng the ore in the presence ofan apmass sodium-hydrogen-sulfate in quantity, sufficient to immunize against flotation certain' of the mineral components normally susceptible to flotation, and then treating the mass to flotation separation.

4:. The process herein described of concentrating metalliferous ores Which consists in reducing the ore inthe presence of an appropriate frothing agent to a fineness sufficient to liberate the various metallic constituents of the ore, adding to the ground mass sodium-hydrogen-sulfate in quantity sufiicient to immunize against flotation certain of the mineral components normally susceptible to flotation and an acid to thereby secure preferential selective action of one metallic constituent of the ore mass to the others, and then treating the mass to flotation separation.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.-

J OHN M. CALLQW. 

